


How to renovate a heart

by Roz1013



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, HP: EWE, House renovations, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-06
Updated: 2014-06-18
Packaged: 2017-12-17 21:27:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/872140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Roz1013/pseuds/Roz1013
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Hermione discovers that Ron has been cheating on her she needs to get away. Snape offers her a place to stay at Spinners End, but with the condition that she cleans (and later renovates) the house. As the house starts to return to its former glory, Hermione realises that there is more to Snape's offer than what she had first realised</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm entering a whole new fandom with a most unlikely pairing, Snape and Hermione. I've read too many awesome fics of them in the last month to ignore the story that I want to create for them. That said, I am looking for a beta reader. Are you keen to read some smut about love lost and gained? Are you at least somewhat knowledgeable about the world of Harry Potter? Then please be my Beta. I need you, you are my only hope.

_Prologue_

_Poison_. She was poison in his mind, skewing his perceptions and adding a heretofore unknown sheen to everything. Everything he tasted, everything he saw – ye gods even smells – reminded him of her.

All because of one silly innocent kiss, not on his cheek, and not properly on his lips. But on that nowhere land of the corner of his mouth, where the foam and chocolate dust from cappuccinos hastily drunk on the way to train station gathered. He could feel her breath on his cheek as she had leaned in and removed the worst of the detritus before leaning in and kissing him there.

“So good to see you, Severus. Let’s try and do this more than once a year.”

With that she was gone. If only he could chase her and demand the antidote as easily she had administered the poison.

***

_4 years earlier_

Hermione wasn’t entirely sure why the tradition started. She was in uni and homesick for the familiarity of Hogwarts and her friends. Coffee in hand she watched the children with old style trunks on trollies head towards platform 9 (and ¾ she added silently), often accompanied by even stranger looking adults. She could spot the muggles accompanying their magical offspring easily with their clothing blending in better. And yet… despite the last few years of agony she wanted to go back to Hogwarts. Life had seemed less complicated when all she had to worry about was her grades and killing HIM.

And now… she was caught up in life. Paying rent, working as a baker’s assistant to pay for her studies, living with Ron and Harry and Ginny and never having space to breathe. She was an only child, she never could understand this incessant need to be around others all the time.

Coffee finished and with the train about to depart she threw the empty paper cup into the nearest bin when she tripped and fell face first into black wool coat.

“Of all the stupid!”

Hermione cringed in embarrassment. The man’s coffee was spilled over his lovely coat and she grabbed as many serviettes from the nearest café to mop up the damage.

“Just leave it, please. “

That voice. It was a voice she could never forget, whose dulcet tones she imagined in the dark of night when Ron was snoring next to her. The voice she imagined when she messed up, when she needed comfort.

She looked up.

Severus Snape looked at the woman who had knocked him over and was surprised and yet not to see her in front of him. She looked different from when he had last seen her, but that was to be expected. One didn’t waltz with the female part of the Golden Trio every day and he had tried since the Ministry of Magic’s Victory Ball to forget the lush form of the 18 year old in her tight ball gown.

There was a new sadness to her face this time. A sadness that came from being alone in the world and if there was one thing that Severus understood, it was being alone in the crowd.

“Miss Granger. May I ask you to replace the coffee you so rudely destroyed?”

And so it started.

For four years, on the day that the Hogwarts Express left London, they would meet for coffee and talk. The rest of the time there were owls. She cut her hair, he started braiding his. He gained weight, she lost weight. She went to Majorca for a holiday and came back as brown as a nut, he stayed in Scotland and turned almost translucent. They became more like themselves.

And now it was four years later and Hermione Granger had kissed and not-kissed Severus Snape. She had qualified as a practicing Healer and he was in his last year at Hogwarts. There would be no more meetings after this one.

 

**Chapter 1**

“What’s this then? Lock yourself out? ” Ron saw Hermione sit on the steps in front of the apartment. There were dark circles under her eyes and she was playing with the rubix cube on her keychain.

“I’m leaving.”

“To go to the shops? Can you get me some Gatorade?”

Hermione smiled at his question. This was, in a nutshell, what was wrong.

“I’m leaving this apartment Ron.  I am leaving you. I can’t do this anymore. “

“Now hang on a bloody minute, what do you mean you are leaving, I… “

“I know about her, Ron. “ Hermione interrupted what was no doubt going to be a verbal torrent. “I know about Daisy and Sarah and that girl from the chip shop. I know about all of them. I just wanted to know when you decided that it was a good idea to dip your staff into another pot without wearing a bloody condom.”

Afterwards she would wonder how she managed to stay so calm.

“I have gonorrhoea, Ron. And since you have been the only man I have ever slept with, the only man that I trusted to not have a disease after five bloody years of a relationship the answer was rather clear as to how I got these lovely bacteria in my system. The doctor said I was lucky, you know. We caught it early enough for none of the nastier symptoms to have started.”

Ron was silent, finally. In fact, she had never seen him so pale.

“I got the clap? But… “

“I just stayed so that I could tell you. I was debating whether to wait for you to realise some of the more painful effects but I couldn’t do that to you.”

She took the key off the keychain and stood up.

“I never want to see you again Ronald Weasley. You can explain to Harry and Ginny why I have gone, and don’t you think for one minute that I won’t check on the story that you have spun. You are a disgrace and I am ashamed to have been proud to call you my own.”

She dropped the key in front of him, turned on her heel and walked away. There were no tears; she had shed them all hours ago.

She caught one of the busses down the street and peered at the letter that had arrived earlier that morning.

_Dear Ms Granger_

_I am sorry to hear that you are planning on leaving London, but will not pry as to why this sudden need to spread your wings. To that end, I have made enquiries about the magical hospital in Manchester and Four Arrows Hospital is indeed in need of a Healer like yourself. The position is a temporary contract but it will allow you to achieve the hours you need for your final practical assessment. Since I will be in Hogwarts for the rest of the year, I would like to offer you the use of my home in Spinner’s End. This is not charity, as I will be taking rent from you in the form of labour._

_The house has been sorely neglected and is dire need of a spring clean. I will be grateful if you could see to restore the house to its former glory (such as it was). The house is warded and there is a garden gnome at the front door which has the spare key. Simply tell him “Aprite” and he will hand you the key to the house._

_I have no need to underscore the need for privacy and respect for my possessions to you, but as one potioneer to another (and as one survivor to another) I am sure you will understand my need to have things just so._

_Yours_

_Severus._

Hermione carefully folded up the letter and stayed in a dreamlike haze until the bus stopped at the train station. A hop, skip and an apparition later she was in Manchester. Severus had been as good as his word and the hospital had been grateful enough to have _someone_ apply that she was to start the following day doing triage.

A trip to the local Tesco and she was all set to find her new home. The apparition point was about four blocks away from the house but it was enough to get a feel of the neighbourhood and if she needed to keep her dad’s cricket bat near the bed. There was a tired playground along the way with a swing that lightly swayed in the drizzle but beyond that it was quiet.

Cars were parked on both sides of the street, turning the previous ample roads into tiny alleys of one way streets and she had to almost dance to avoid the dog waste that owners had neglected to pick up. A few of the houses in the street had fire damage and were boarded up, and the street had a few For Rent signs as well. Not an up and coming neighbourhood then.

Hermione walked up the cracked pavement until she spotted the house at the end of the terrace row. Dirt caked windows and an overgrown garden hid the house and it was some trepidation that Hermione walked up to the old garden gnome.

Carefully looking around her she bent down and almost tenderly whispered

“Aprite.”

Nothing happened.

“Aprite” this time a bit louder, almost conversationally.

Still nothing. It started to spit down a bit and Hermione angrily pulled her coat collar up to stop the rain from running down her back.

“Aprite!” almost shouting now but still no response. Hermione could feel the frustration build up in her.

_I am not going to start crying in the street. No. Deep breath in._

“Mr Gnome. I am a guest of Severus Snape. He told me that I only needed to say Aprite to you and you would hand me the key. Now either hand me the key and we can both move on or I will assume that you are a muggle ornament and smash you against the wall. You have until I count to three before I pick you up. “

No response from the gnome. Typical.

“One.” It started to rain a bit harder.

“Two” Hermione looked around for a good place to throw the stupid gnome.

Before Hermione could finish saying three the gnome winked at her and held a key instead of a spade in his hand.

“Thank you” she said huffily and stuck the heavy key in the lock.

The door was stuck and with a good shove she got it to open enough that she could slip in. Months of junk mail had cluttered up the front hall from the mail slot and a fine layer of grey dust covered everything. Hermione flicked a light switch out of habit and was surprised when the hall light switched on. Most wizards didn’t have electricity in their homes.

A short hallway was in front of her, leading to a kitchen and a sitting room to her left. Steps on the right going up to the bedrooms, she supposed. The kitchen was as empty as she suspected and she let the water run for a while before she filled up the kettle. There was a stillness in the house that hinted at long periods of emptiness. Finding a mug from the sparse cupboards were easy enough and Hermione had just managed to switch the fridge back on when a small brown owl tapped on the window.

Hermione wrestled with the window for a while before finally opening it enough for the owl to enter. Hermione absently scratched him behind the ear while getting the message from him and he flew off before she could hunt for some scraps to feed him.

Tea brewed Hermione sat down at the dusty kitchen table and started to read.

_Dear Ms Granger_

_I hope that you have managed to track down my house with little trouble. I probably should’ve mentioned that the garden gnome is a stubborn bugger and that you might want to threaten him with some violence before he cooperates. He also has a tendency to move around during the day, so don’t be too surprised when he appears in the house._

_I’ve ensured that the water and lights are turned on for you, but you will need to turn up the boiler for heating and showers. The boiler is in the cupboard under the stairs. I have opened an account for you at B &Q for cleaning supplies but I suspect that you might want to try plain sugar soap first. The house is strangely resistant to magical attempts at cleaning but I suspect that you will try to do so regardless. _

_The house is also connected to the floo network. There are no wards in place and should you feel the need to erect some, please let me know as I would prefer not to be locked out of my own house._

_I’ll visit sometime over the weekend to make sure that everything is in working order, and to answer your sure to be innumerable questions._

_Yours,_

_SS_

Hermione couldn’t help but smile at the last line.

Five minutes later the heating was turned on and the boiler was ensuring there would be enough hot water for a shower later. The earlier drizzle had turned into a full blown downpour and Hermione made her way up to the bedroom. One room was clearly the main room with a large double bed covered in a threadbare quilt. Another had clearly been a child’s room with a small twin bed. This room had brighter spots on the walls where long-removed posters had held a place of honour.

Hermione tried a _tergeo_ spell to remove most of the dust but it was as Severus had indicated. It had no effect on the house.

She stomped back down the stairs to try and find a duster and was pleasantly surprised to find a linen cupboard near the laundry. Clean (if slightly musty) bedding and towels in hand she stomped back up and with a ruthlessness that belied her doubt she stripped the main bed and bundled the dusty bedding in the corner. Laundry could wait until tomorrow.

An aching shoulder later and the window was open as well. Cool air rushed through the house as Hermione dusted and organised her bedroom for the foreseeable future. The ancient heaters grumbled as the heated water started flowing through them and Hermione could tell she would have to bleed them later to get the bubbles out.

A colour-change charm was used to change the bedding to a deep wine red and by nightfall the room started to feel like home.

_***_

_Dear Severus_

_Thank you for the use of your house. Although I have no idea why you persist on referring to me as Ms Granger. If you are Severus to me, then I must be Hermione to you._

_Your stupid gnome did indeed give me some trouble but I am inside the house and have already deployed some elbow grease to the main bedroom. I hope you don’t mind, I figured that since I will be here for the foreseeable future I might as well take the big bed._

_I’ll be starting at Four Arrows tomorrow and will assist in the triage area. I am sure that it will be like that the dreadful time when I was hiding in the forest with the other two idiots (yes, idiots). Or maybe only one of them is an idiot. I don’t know. Maybe._

_My roster at Four Arrows will be four on, three off, with the four days being twelve hour night shifts._

_There is rather a lot of mail in the front hall and I will go through them after work tomorrow to see if there is anything important. I left London in a hurry so I suspect that there will a lot of owl traffic coming through here for the next few days. I hope your neighbours won’t mind too much!_

_If anyone does approach you to find out where I am, you may tell them but I am setting wards up to discourage visitors. As you are the owner of the house, the wards should allow you entry._

_I haven’t found your secret potion lab yet, but am sure it will reveal itself in due time._

_Thank you again._

_H._

Severus Snape smiled as he imagined Hermione looking around the house for his lab. He had no doubt that she would find it in due course, but he was not going to ruin the surprise for her.

He pulled a stack of fourth year essays closer and started to hum. This was going to be an interesting year indeed.


	2. Cleaning the bathroom

Ginny Weasley, soon to be Potter, glared daggers at her brother.

“So just to recap, Hermione has decided for _no good reason_ to pack off and go somewhere where _you don’t know_ just because she felt like a change. Really.”

Ron twisted his hands in front of him. This was not going the way he expected. No one ever expects to be berated by a younger sibling.

“She left so suddenly that she left behind her boyfriend without a forwarding address, not taking any photos or anything that the two of you have bought together. She left, only taking her clothes and books. She didn’t even take the bloody coffee mug that you bought her for Christmas. Ron, she loved that mug!”

“Yes, well. You know ‘Mione. Changeable as tomorrow.” It sounded weak, even to him.

“You are an idiot. Even worse, you must think I am an idiot to fall for that. Ron, what did you do?”

“Nothing. Well, I thought it was nothing at the time. Everyone else was doing it… and no one told me about those … diseases and how I was to know about how girls gossip in the changing rooms?”

“Diseases? Gossip?” Ginny leaned over and smacked her brother on the head. “You really are worse than an idiot. “

_Dear Hermione_

_I want to apologise for my brother’s idiocy but if I start I will never stop. I haven’t been able to get the whole story from him yet but I understand that he has managed to pick up something gross that he has passed on to you. I assume he needs to go to a muggle doctor for this?_

_I hope that we can still be friends, and I completely understand if you never want to speak to me again._

_I hope you are well wherever you are._

_Love_

_Ginny_

_***_

It had taken Ron a week to tell his sister that she had gone. A week in which she had started her new job as Healer at Four Arrows, managed to remove the growing mould cultures in the shower and make no headway in finding Severus’ potions lab.

Work was exhausting with a completely different work culture than St Mungo’s and quite a few of the witches and wizards had muggle medical qualifications to supplements their knowledge. This was incredibly refreshing to the insular culture she had found in London. It also made it much easier to get a check-up regarding the parting gift from Ron.

“You are all clear m’dear. I don’t suppose that I need to talk to you about lifestyle choices then?”

Hermione got up from the chair in the Gynaecologist’s office and with as much dignity as she could muster slipped her underwear back on under the paper gown.

“Thanks Shona. No, this was a once-off, hopefully never to be repeated event. I think I’ll have to threaten my next lover with cutting his bollocks off if he cheats on me. Not that it is something you ever think will happen to you.”

Shona Hayworth peered at Hermione over her red-rimmed glasses. The girl had been a surprising addition to Four Arrows and you didn’t have to be a witch to see the bitterness rolling off her.

“No, it isn’t something that you ever plan on. However Hermione, I would advise you to do something about your heart.  An experience like this can infect all your interactions for a while and isn’t the sort of attitude that will make you friends.”

Hermione barked with laughter.

“Fair call. At this point though, I am just happy to get up in the morning and not see that idiot’s face.”

Hermione closed her eyes in pain, not allowing the tears that she knew threatened to fall from leaving her eyes. A warm hand on her shoulder comforted more than she thought it would.

“It will get better. I promise.  Now, how about we go for a few drinks on your day off so you can meet the rest of the team here?”

 ***

 It had started innocently enough. Celeste was a bright student, similar in character to Hermione and Severus was a bit more indulgent with her than he should’ve been. But then she started bumping into him, started following him around the school and generally making a pest of herself. This was one area in which Celeste did not imitate the formidable Ms Granger. Which meant that Severus would have to break another teenager’s heart.

“Ms Philpot, remain after class please.”

 _Oh dear. Look at her now. Preening as if she had won a grand prize_. Severus rolled his eyes. Didn’t the girls (and sometimes boys) realise that there was always one person every year who had a crush on him? Should he let her down gently or use the scary I-was-a-Death-Eater-stay-away speech?

When he had first joined the teaching staff and had been faced with this dilemma for the first time Minerva had given him the tip to have at least a standard speech when it came to break the unfortunate child’s heart. It seemed that even Hagrid had been the focus of one particular Hufflepuff one year and since then the staff had been unanimous in their approach on how to deal with rampant emotions of the teenagers. Have a standard speech, refer them to their Heads of House (unless the Heads of House was the object of affection) and point them in the direction of a new activity. And make notes, copious notes, in case there is a charge of sexual misconduct from the scorned teenager (again, they had learned from what happened with Hagrid).

“You wanted to see me Professor?” Celeste had surreptitiously unbuttoned her blouse to almost bra-clasp level and was leaning over the desk in what she assumed to be an alluring position.

Severus blinked at this new aggressive display of flirtation.

 “Miss Philpot, you seem to be falling out of your uniform. Please make yourself decent.”

Celeste seemed to deflate a bit but then, to Severus’ surprise perked up again.

“Are you sure Professor? I am sure that someone who has seen so much of the world must have the need to see… more… occasionally.”

_That minx! She just licked her lips!_

“Be that as it may Miss Philpot, you can be assured that when I want to see something more, I go for a more mature view.”

“But, Professor, I may not look experienced but I am sure that I know how to help you appreciate the view.” 

_Oh good lord. This has gone on for too long._

“Miss Philpot, if you do not dress yourself in the appropriate manner in the next five seconds I will march you as you are now to the Headmistress’s office. Where you will explain to her why you are almost out of uniform and how you have propositioned to one of your teachers.  I can assure you that your parents will be contacted, you will be either transferred to another school or removed from any formal magical training. You are not the first person to have placed unwelcome attentions on me, nor are you going to be the last.

However, Miss Philpot, there is an alternative. “

_Good, she has gone white. Means she is listening._

“You can button up your blouse like a good girl, remind yourself that your teachers are just that, _your teachers_ , and not the sexual playthings of the student body when they are bored. You will write me an essay on sexual harassment in the workplace and how your activities over the last two months could have been construed as that. I will read your essay and we will both forget that this has happened. I believe this is a fairly clear choice Miss Philpot. You have five seconds to make your decision.”

Silence from Miss Philpot. _Please, please take the essay option. It is so much less humiliating than the other option._

A sniffle started from Miss Philpot. Shaky fingers buttoned up her blouse and she stammered out her apology before fleeing from the room.

Severus sank back down into his chair and penned a note to Minerva describing the last five minutes. A short shout to a house elf later and the message was on its way.

_Bloody teenagers._

 

 ***

Hermione pulled on the thick rubber gloves, put the facemask over her mouth and started spraying the thick bleaching agent onto the ancient tiles. The bathroom was covered with thick colonies of black mould and she knew that nothing except bleach was going to get rid of them. She had already managed to disinfect the toilet and was pleased by the almost artic white of the porcelain. The toilet and basins were leaky, but it was something that she could call a plumber in for, assuming she didn’t die of the chemical fumes first.

The whole bathroom looked like a refugee from the first World War and was in dire need of updating. Hermione had some plans of what could be done but there was no way she was going to let a contractor in to even look at the bathroom if there was a chance of killing them with poisonous spores. At least she could open the window this time and a gentle breeze stirred the stifling currents.

Hermione had put her Tuesday and Wednesday aside to work on the house, giving her time to recover on Thursday before heading back on the Friday. Fridays seemed to be a pretty bad/good day to work in triage, depending on how you looked at it.

By lunchtime the bathroom blinded anyone who entered it and Hermione was pleased to discover that besides some minor plumbing issues the bathroom didn’t need too much work. A new countertop and a new layer of enamel paint over the shower bath should breathe new life into the dark, dank room. The shower curtain was summarily Vanished and Hermione decided that a large mirror on the one wall would be the final touch to make the room look even more spacious.

While practically inhaling her cheese sandwich she composed her note to Severus asking about plumbers. Everything felt sticky after working in the humid room and while she waited for his reply she stepped into the newly disinfected shower. Hot water beat a steady rhythm on her sore muscles and at full blast the water pressure was just the right side of painful. Not for the first time Hermione missed the feeling of Ron washing her hair. It was something that he had done once in a blue moon but there was something to be said for strong fingers massaging a scalp weighed down by masses of curls. The thought of that shot shivers down her body and Hermione pinched her nipples to increase the tingles flowing down to her clit.

Without thought her left hand started drifting lower and softly stroked her hardening clit. She started grinding herself against the heel of her palm and whimpered in pleasant agony. It was not enough, never enough but oh it felt so good.

Severus stood outside the bathroom, torn between bursting in and helping her to completion and storming back downstairs.  He had arrived not long after she had sent through her message. The thought of Hermione touching herself in the shower and the delightful whimpers of her arousal did more for him than what he was happy admitting to.

He had just started to palm his growing erection through his trousers when Hermione let loose a blood-curdling scream.

Ten seconds later Severus was faced with a shivering, soaked and delightfully naked Hermione.

“Are you all right?”

“Sev… I… the hot water ran out. What are you doing here?”

“You sent me a message.” Severus had a look similar to a deer caught in the headlights. Which in a way he was.  And he was going to stop looking at her nipples. Soon. Yes, soon. But they were so … in your face.

“Ahem. If you have quite had your fill, can you hand me the towel behind you please?”

Severus blinked owlishly until he seemed to realise where he was, with who he was and more specifically, what she was not wearing.

“I am so sorry Hermione. “ Blood rushed back to his head and he handed her the thick cotton towels that she brought with her.

Hermione snorted. “I am sure it is nothing you haven’t seen before. Modesty isn’t something that stays with you when you become a Healer. I’ll be down in five minutes.”

Summarily dismissed Severus headed down the stairs in a daze. _Poison. Poison that affected everything._ He was in so much trouble. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where the story starts earning it's M rating folks...

“A penny for your thoughts”

Severus looked up at the damp temptress in front of him. His could feel his mouth open and shut but there were no words, no sounds that he could produce to indicate a response.

Cut-off denims and a gypsy shirt with bare feet made for a delectable Hermione. Add in her still damp hair that made it easy to see the detail of the snow white bra she wore underneath and Severus could have gladly thrown himself at her feet.

“I doubt it would be worth as much as that. The work you have done to the house so far Hermione… I am astounded. Thank you. “

She laughed, a wonderful sound that Severus had missed more than he had realised.

“I think I should be thanking you. In between the apprenticeship program and the renovations I’ve hardly had time to think, much less stew over what had happened. It is like being given a clean slate.”

“I’m glad that I could’ve been of some help.”

She smiled at him again and without Severus realising it, she herded him into the kitchen. It gleamed and had the faint smell of lemons permeating everything. Unfortunately, the lack of grime seemed to underscore how badly the house and kitchen had aged. A quick look around showed that much more needed to be done to modernise it, and Severus was surprised to see a plaster wrapped around the tap.

He walked over to it and started poking at the tap stem.

“Is it injured? Did it get a paper cut?”

“Haha.” Hermione wrapped her arms around her chest, inadvertently pulling Severus’ eyes to her chest. “The pipe has completely been worn through. Without the plaster, water just shoots everywhere. It’s a temporary fix but it has highlighted a few things that I need to talk to you about. I am just not qualified or comfortable doing some aspects of this renovation. The plumbing is one part of it.”

Severus lifted one eyebrow and waved a hand, indicating that she should continue.

“I’ve made a, please don’t laugh, spreadsheet about what needs to be done throughout the house. As you can see, there is more than enough work to justify either a plumber and electrician or a subcontractor who can do both. I realise that part of what I am doing here is helping to defray the costs of renovation but you will really need to get professionals in to do this.”

Silence. Hermione was waiting for Severus to explode or to rant and rave when all he did was pull the sheet with her colour coded notes closer.

“You know Hermione, originally the plan was just for you to spring clean this place. Why on Earth are planning a massive renovation?”

“The house Severus, it just has, it has potential. It could be so much more than what it is now. And not just for your own comfort but for down the track. You might want to sell the house or invite a friend to live with you” she felt her face become red “ and then you might want something more than a toilet handle that you have to jiggle about six times to flush, or light fittings that you can depend on or heaven forbid, the internet.”

“And how do you plan for electronics to work in a mostly magical environment?”

“Ah! See, there is this research done recently by Me and endorsed by Me that realised that laptops and other electronic devices do work around magic. I came to the conclusion that since so few of Pure Bloods actually knew about technology or what it could do, people just assumed that it wouldn’t work. But it does!”

Her smile was absolute infectious. Severus couldn’t help himself, her joy made him want to bask in her loveliness.

“And, I’ve looked at costings as well. If you look at the table on the far right… “ She leaned over Severus and he had to stop himself from nuzzling her neck.

“Hermione, stop. I can see and concede your point that the house can do with some modernisation. But I am not sure that it all needs to be done now. I’ll need you to sit down and run through it all, item by item.”

“With pleasure. Let me run through the costings with you.”

Hermione exhaled briefly in relief and pulled her paperwork closer. She wanted for Severus to have simply the best little house that she could give him.

***

In the end Severus agreed on a modest budget for Hermione to get a contractor out to replace the worst of the plumbing and electrical issues. It was decided to go full-on muggle as it would not only be cheaper, but would also come with a certificate of completion.

Wine and pizza replaced the coffee cups on the table and eventually they ended up on the sofa; a scotch is his hand and a rum in hers.

They started plotting the renovation of the front garden when Hermione laid her head on his shoulder and gave him a hug. It was soft and almost non-committal, so unlike the interactions that he had with her.

“This is nice. I’ve missed this.” she mumbled into his shoulder.

“Hugging erstwhile professors in their dilapidated houses?”

Giggles then, and a gentle shove.

“No, you prat. Human contact, a friendly face and someone who doesn’t want anything from me. I am enjoying the apprenticeship but it is always about the patients.”

“They are unforgivably selfish with their injuries and wounds.”

Silence and her head on his chest. She counted thirty beats before she stirred and looked up at him.

Severus did not dare move. He could see her pupils dilate and her nose wrinkle in decision and when he blinked she was so much nearer than he thought. Soft lips brushed against his. His heart thundered and he could hear blood rushing in his ears and he just couldn’t move.

Another brush of lips, this time firmer. Pressure on his legs, she was moving on top of him. Without thought his arms moved to her back pulling her closer. This was no longer a one sided kiss. She did something with her hips, rolled her core closer to him and he was at her mercy.

He wanted to do grab her, to hold her, crush her against him. Thrust deep into her warm wet heat. He was still battling for control when she broke the kiss. They were both gasping for breath, as if they had done sprint.

“I… I’m so sorry Severus. I can’t, I don’t know…”

“Shhh Hermione.” he placed a finger on her lips. “Shhh. If we don’t say nothing, there is nothing.”

She lay her head back down on his chest, and Severus pulled her even closer.

“Hermione, would you like to continue doing nothing upstairs?”

There was nothing to say to Severus’ offer except to try and get to the bedroom before all clothing had been divested. He kissed Hermione with single minded determination while she tried to get his shirt off. When she succeeded in unbuttoning what felt like thousands of little buttons, she scraped her nails down his chest and skimmed her fingers above his trouser line. The closer she got to his bulge, the harder he fisted her hair until finally she knew that it would be tremendously tangled mess by the end of it. It was like he wanted to climb inside her using his mouth.

Pressed up against the wall there was nothing but mouths and tongues and hands exploring. He moved his mouth from her face to her neck, muttered a quick _Divesto_ and then focused all of his razor sharp attention on her nipples. They were hard enough to cut glass and when Severus finally (finally!) took one in his mouth Hermione whimpered in sheer pleasured agony. He was bent too far down for her to press her aching clit against anything but before she could complain too much he started paying attention to her other nipple using his hand. Fingers plucked and teased and pinched whilst her other nipple experienced the pleasure of tongue and teeth and suction.

It was too much. It was not enough.

Afterwards Hermione would have no idea of how they managed to get to her bedroom, their clothing scattered throughout the house. All that mattered now was that they were both naked, uninhibited and not saying a word.

They spoke a language of grunts and sighs, of moans and whimpers.

When she fondled his balls and treated his cock like a soft-serve cone he whimpered obscenities. When he scissored his fingers inside her and found that spot that made her see stars she moaned his name.

Both of them aching and wet, there was an almost desperate air when Hermione started to roll on top of him. The haze of alcohol that had started their journey had worn off ages ago and they were sober but drunk on lust.

She straddled him, dragging her aching and dripping pussy along his thigh. The hair on his leg tickled her. She wrapped her hand around his leaking cock and pumped a few times experimentally.

“Hermione, look at me.” He placed his hand underneath her jaw, forcing her to meet his eyes.  “I want you to be sure you want to do this. I won’t… I’ll understand if you want to take things slow.”

She stared deep in to his eyes, searching for answers to questions that only she knew. Severus held his breath, trying to not plead to much with his eyes.

Seeing what only Hermione knew she wanted, she nodded once, climbed off Severus and headed towards her backpack. The pang of disappointment was painful and Severus started to gather himself to leave when she popped back with a familiar looking foil square.

“The only thing that I have a doubt about now is normal or ribbed. But since I only have the one, it will have to do.”

Hermione manhandled Severus back on to the bed and with an expertise that surprised him, rolled the thin latex sheath on to his weeping cock.

Her lips sought his and Severus leant up with a groan, meeting her questing lips with his own. She leaned over and straddled him and with a hiss of pleasure pain started to slowly slide down his cock.

He was bigger than she had anticipated; a thick solid length that filled her up in ways that she had never realised was missing with Ron. Achingly slowly she moved down, her thighs shaking with the effort of controlling the slide. Finally she bumped his pubic bone with her clit, sending a strong jolt of pleasure. So she did again. And again. Faster and harder until she was completely unable to form any sound except grunts of pleasure. She just needed a little bit more and was so close and…

Oh. Yes. Severus grabbed her hips and pulled her even harder into him, practically slamming her down his cock. This was the last bit of the pleasure puzzle and she exploded. There was nothing except a wave of unending pleasure, a demand for more and she was powerless to stop it.

She had barely time to catch her breath when Severus held her hips tighter and in a move that should have been impossible, flipped them over. He angled her hips slightly and without seeming to break a sweat, starting to thrust.

There was nothing Hermione could do but hang on and she slightly angled her hips so that he could go just that bit deeper and … oh. Yes. Again. His cock brushed against her g-spot and it was all she could do to not explode right there again. Severus interpreted her grunts correctly and made sure to brush again against the area relentlessly until she started sobbing with the need to finally just come.

Another slight change in angle, his mouth on hers and she sees stars once more. But this time he was with her, and they soared together.

_~~~000~~~_

_Dear Hermione_

_Sorry for not writing to you sooner but Ron was being an idiot about seeing a healer. You were right in that none of the Healers in St Mungo’s were helpful, they had a sort of mentality that Ron’s magic should have protected him from whatever he had/has? I dragged him off to a muggle doctor and they confirmed that he has some sort of infection. They gave him a really large tablet to swallow and it was so funny trying to watch Ron do it._

_The doctor said to tell you that if you hadn’t been tested yet that you would have to be. He gave Ron this massive lecture about how it the infection could’ve made his tackle fall off! Needless to say it made an impression and I think it will be a while before Ron goes visiting some random down the street. The doctor mentioned something to Ron about making sure he wraps up, but we were both a bit flabbergasted about it and Harry just keeps on turning purple whenever we ask him._

_So, Hermione, care to share?_

_Hugs,_

_Ginny._

_~~~000~~~_

 

 


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